External Combustion Engines: Open & Closed Cycles

Types of Gas Power Cycles:
Open Cycles
Internal Combusion (IC)
vs.
vs.
Closed Cycles
External Combustion (EC)
External Combustion
Process flow diagram of an open gas power cycle using external combustion as a heat source.
External Combustion
Process flow diagram of a closed gas power cycle using external combustion as a heat source.
In an

external combustion cycle

, the combustion process does not take place within the system.
The hot gases from the combustion process provide heat to the power cycle through a heat exchanger.
In a

closed gas power cycle

, the working fluid is recirculated.
The

closed gas power cycle

with

external combustion

is generally only used as a model to simplify the analysis of the

open gas power cycle

. In practice, most

gas power cycles

are open.
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Ch 9, Lesson E, Page 3 - External Combustion Engines: Open & Closed Cycles